Sweet Naïveté
by zeetan
Summary: PruLiech. Eva Vogel, innocent and proper student and restaurant hostess, is challenged to follow her whims for a change by a roguish server named Gilbert. In one night, he helps her let her hair down, peels away her innocence, and teaches her to be wary of wolves.
1. Chapter 1

Eva tucked her purse into a small cubby under the front desk and began helping set up for the evening's dinner service. The restaurant in which she worked was only open a few nights a week, serving exclusively dinner with the exception of brunch Sundays. It was a quiet place, a little on the expensive end, but well worth the visit with its superior staff and customer service.

That was what their Yelp reviews said, anyway, but Eva believed it to be true for the most part. The owner was gruff but chivalrous and fair, and the head chef had a soft spot for her, despite being short-tempered in general. The other hostess, a niece of Arthur, the owner, was spunky but easy to get along with, and did a good job despite her young age. The serving staff was equally talented and friendly, both towards guests and herself, particularly—

"Hey hun," Eva was greeted casually by the tall, lanky server approaching the hostess stand. He grinned slyly at her, normally unkempt hair slicked back neatly in a style more fitting to the more formal atmosphere of the _Zucchero Bistro_. She could see right through his polished appearance, though, and shot him a shy smile.

"Hi Gilbert, how are you?" she asked politely as she continued to polish the wooden desktop of the host stand, feigning indifference towards him despite her rosy cheeks. Smiling to herself, she checked her notepad to recite his section for the evening: "Tables 1-6; Mei is your neighbor, she has tables 11-16."

"Aww, did you put me up near the front so I'd be close to you?" he teased, wrapping an arm around her shoulder and squeezing her gently.

This kind of physical contact would normally be unwelcome for Eva, but with patience, Gilbert was somehow able to wriggle his way into her affections. They weren't necessarily friends—Eva tended to keep to herself outside of work—but they had a unique, close acquaintanceship. She never truly rejected his flirting outright; humming vaguely or replying curtly despite an embarrassed smile and pink-dusted cheeks.

"I don't delegate tables, you know that," she replied softly with a slight scolding tone, leaning slightly into the brief side hug.

"I know," he conceded in a sing-song tone, rubbing her arm before releasing her and stalking back through the swinging double doors to the kitchen.

Conversations with servers were often disjointed and cut short; they could only linger at the host stand for so long until they had to attend to their tables or run food—not to mention that Arthur would fuss at them. Despite her inner denial, she found herself waiting more eagerly for Gilbert to return to continue their conversation than the other waiters.

An introvert in her high school years, Eva never received much attention from boys. She had only a handful of friends and despite being polite and hardworking, found it difficult to befriend others. Gilbert was one of the first to reach out to her when she began hosting at the _Zucchero Bistro_. He did so in his own way: shameless teasing. In response, Eva grew thicker skin and let his honeyed words roll off of her back; even so, his sweet-talk stuck in her mind like honey itself.

Eva didn't realize she'd been spaced out staring after him until—

"When's the wedding?"

She just about jumped out of her skin, wheeling around to see tousled blond hair and a goofy grin. Eva shot him the dirtiest glare in her arsenal, while somehow simultaneously smiling, face so hot it could fry an egg.

"I'm only teasing, kid," he chuckled, ruffling her hair affectionately, "He's bad news for a sweet girl like you, anyway."

She pouted a little, combing her fingers through her hair before mumbling, "I'm an adult, Matthias; I'm in uni! I can take care of myself…"

The Danish waiter shook his head, smiling, before going back to setting his tables.

Despite being poised, quiet, and polite most of the time, Eva often became flustered and defensive when confronted about her feelings towards Gilbert. Matthias was right; there were so many reasons for her _not_ to like him.

 _I don't like him._ she reminded herself. _He just likes to push my buttons..._

On top of it being unprofessional—what would her boss, Arthur, think?—she didn't have the time for it. She was in her third year of university, planning to double major, and she worked several hours a week at the restaurant. Oftentimes she got off work too late to have a social life after; besides, her older brother was adamant about her focusing her energy on her studies.

Not to mention what he would think of a character like Gilbert; he dropped out of college, always smelled like cigarettes, and drank heavily, on top of being a full four years older than her in a dead-end job. Vash didn't want her dating at all while she was still in university, let alone an uneducated, working-class punk.

Her brother didn't do this simply to be cruel, or because he wanted her to be unhappy; on the contrary, he loved her a great deal, but he wanted her to have the best opportunities for a happy and successful life. According to him, these opportunities came from a good education, a good career in a lucrative field, and, if it suited her, marriage and children once she had enough money to support herself. Of course, her suitor must meet certain requirements as well: equally or more educated than Eva, no unsavory habits or vices, and a put-together appearance.

Not to mention, if he wanted to keep his hands, he'd better keep them off of her.

Eva smiled to herself as she imagined what kind of interaction Vash and Gilbert would have. In some alternate universe, of course, in which there was even the slightest chance that she and Gilbert could be together. She'd never hear the end of it from her brother about throwing her life away and that she'll be living in poverty, and that he won't take her or her live-in boyfriend (or worse, husband) even if they were begging in the streets. Having such paternal instincts, she doubted Vash would really follow that vow.

She was jolted from this strange fantasy by vigorous knocking; her heart stopped when she saw faces peeking in through the still locked front doors. Had she really zoned out for that long?! Eva breathed a sigh of relief when she saw it was still a minute until the hour, and went to unlock the doors early for the regulars.

"Good evening, how are you?" she chirped as she let them in, face still a little flushed.

Gilbert was back up at the host stand when she returned from seating the early guests. Leaning against the desktop, he shot her a wolfish grin. "When you gonna seat me, huh? I thought we were friends!"

Cracking a little smile, she took her place next to him behind the host stand and looked over her clipboard. "I'll seat you when it's your turn. You still have one person ahead of you,"

"That's fine, I guess, I'll just spend some quality time with my girl up here, then!" he exclaimed, evoking a soft glare from Eva as she held her finger to her lips. Gilbert shook his head at her, smile softening slightly as he continued to gaze at her. "You worry too much about what other people think!"

"You don't worry enough," she returned.

"Life's too short _not_ to do everything you want to." His regularly playful tone turned somewhat serious. She was a bit bewildered, especially by how he was staring.

"S-so are you doing what you want now?"

He appeared to consider her question for a moment before grinning almost sheepishly. "You've got a good point there, blondie. But I guess there's a time and place for everything. You need money and a house and food to be able to go out and do whatever you want." Gilbert smirked and flicked her bangs before continuing, "But if I have to be here, I'd rather hang out with my girlfriend!"

"Wh-what?!" Eva squeaked, flustered and flushed-faced. All of the wait staff on the floor and the couple at the nearby table turned to stare at the two of them following her outburst. Gilbert just laughed and rubbed her shoulder comfortingly as she hung her head in shame.

"You're too cute when you're embarrassed! You know what I mean, Eva." He winked and patted her on the back in a distinctly friendly manner before going back into the kitchen. _Probably to go flirt with the waitresses,_ she found herself adding reflexively. Not that it mattered—since when did she care what he did?

Since he started giving her all these mixed signals. Eva honestly had no idea what he had meant: between calling her "hun", "sweetheart", and by her name with both flirty and friendly physical contact, she was perplexed. Everyone thought he just had a big mouth and was full of himself, but when they had real conversations, he seemed to really listen and care about what she had to say. He acted like a big shot in front of everyone, but he'd reveal personal accomplishments to her.

She smiled a little to herself; she knew that he had a pet chicken that he raised from an egg, that he was trying to quit smoking and drinking—" _So I'll be worthy of my princess Eva_ ,"—with some success, and that he was planning to go back to school once he saved up a little money—which he mainly spends on cigarettes and alcohol. Eva knew he was far from perfect, but she'd swell with pride when he'd announce to her that he hadn't smoked a cigarette for a whole week, or that he only had one beer the night before.

She knew these feelings of attachment went only one way; as much as he came onto her, he was out of her league. Not that Eva really believed a relationship would work between them—or that she even wanted one! She was supposed to be focusing on her studies and saving money for her future. No, Gilbert was just an overly-flirtatious friend. _Acquaintance—coworker._ she quickly corrected.

Besides, this had been going on for over a year now; if it hadn't gone anywhere by now, she doubted it ever would. Eva ignored the slight pangs of disappointment that followed that realization, or at least she tried to, and went into autopilot as the restaurant filled up for the evening. She caught his glances and offered soft smiles in return, but was too busy talking to guests and taking phone calls to continue their conversation.

* * *

I hope this introductory chapter kinda piques your interest! I absolutely love PruLiech, and as much as I'm doing this for you PruLiech fans, I'm doing this story a lot for myself. Some of the themes/scenarios in this story are inspired by some of my own experiences working in a restaurant and dealing with conflicting feelings about an overly affectionate "off-limits" person. Writing through it helps me sort out my thoughts, in a way. (Coughs sorry for being such a nerd. Please follow ; o ; ) I'm aiming to release a chapter every few days with no more than 5 chapters (but we'll see). Thank you very much for reading, and please review! c:


	2. Chapter 2

Summer being a typically slower season for restaurants, Arthur ended up letting her leave fairly early around 7:30 PM. Eva began to straighten up her work area and gather her things, crouching to reach her purse, and was greeted by a familiar face when she popped back up.

"Aww, you're cut already?" he whined, to which she replied to with a curt nod. Gilbert's expression turned pensive before lighting up, taking her hand, "What are you doing now? Don't tell me you're going straight home so early!"

Eva gently pried her hand from his and nodded again, smiling a bit sheepishly. "There isn't much to do on a Tuesday night…" she offered weakly; they both knew she had virtually no social life after 8:00 at night.

"Sure there is. Why don't you marry me?" She felt her insides melt as he theatrically took a knee, looking around to make sure nobody was watching. Thankfully, the nearby tables were engrossed in their food and conversation, and there were no other staff nearby.

"I… Umm… No," she stammered after a moment. It was an easy enough answer, and she knew he was just pushing her buttons, but it felt strange to turn down. Gilbert just laughed and stood back up, countering with a new proposal.

"How about just a date, then?"

Eva didn't blush, become flustered, or try to deflect his affections; instead she stared, confounded yet skeptical at once. If this wasn't a joke, which she suspected it was, what did it mean?

"You asked me if I was doing what I wanted to, and I want to take you out! Totally serious," he added in response to her stupefied silence.

"Oh. I—I can't."

Gilbert's face fell at how quickly she turned him down, but he quickly forced a grin and let out a hollow chuckle, "It's alright, girl, maybe next time."

She watched him as he hurried back to the kitchen; he didn't even turn to look at her as he passed through swinging doors. Eva felt her heart wrench in her chest, but tried to swallow the feelings of guilt and regret as she left through the front doors. She avoided the kitchen so that she wouldn't have to see his deflated energy and fake smile.

Taking a seat on a bench outside the restaurant, she played through the moment again. It was as if she blacked out, blurting out the first words that came to her tongue. In reality, she probably couldn't, but she couldn't remember being so cold to him before; he had put his feelings out there and she shattered them like a hammer to delicate china. Maybe she was exaggerating, but there was nothing else she could have done. Vash would have never allowed her to go out with an older coworker so late—late for her, that is.

Or would he?

Before her mind caught up with her thumbs, she'd already texted him asking about staying over at a friend's. Like lightning, his reply arrived: _Who? Full name and address, and why and for how long will you be there?_

Eva felt the adrenaline rush through her veins as she sent, _Charlotte. Arthur's niece, she wanted me to come over to watch a movie. Back tomorrow morning?_

Vash: _K. Be safe_.

She pressed her lips together to contain her own excitement: was she really doing this? What had gotten into her? Eva was going out late with a man, and she had lied to her brother, her guardian, about it. Gilbert's words rang in her mind: _"Life's too short not to do everything you want to."_

He wanted to, and as she realized, so did she—what was stopping them?

In a strange way, it felt as if a longtime childhood crush was being fulfilled; her self-suppressed feelings resurfaced as she sank deeper into this "love buzz." Eva knew from her psychology courses that children of strict and severe parents will rebel against these harsh standards much more strongly than those with more relaxed parents, but she had never dreamed of becoming the poster child for this phenomenon.

Shaking from her newfound spontaneity, she circled around to the back door of the restaurant to wait for Gilbert. Despite the twitterpated rush bouncing around inside her, she still maintained a sense of modesty; the last thing she wanted was for her boss and coworkers to find out. Well, the _last_ person she wanted to find out was Vash, but she knew that restaurants were brutal with rumors.

This surge of feelings ebbed slowly as she waited, but when he walked out a few minutes later into the waning daylight, Eva's heart did a backflip and her insides began humming once more. He didn't see her at first, pulling a pack of cigarettes from his back pocket and placing one between his lips before he saw her sitting on the curb. "Eva? Are you okay?" Notes of concern, surprise, and confusion could be deciphered in his voice.

She got to her feet and straightened her pencil skirt, taking small, shy steps towards him. "Y-yes. Can I change my mind..?"

Gilbert furrowed his brow, not comprehending the question.

"I'd like to go out with you… Totally serious." she added, offering a smile as she echoed his earlier words. His face lit up.

He drove her to a small diner downtown in his beat-up Civic, light rock playing on the FM radio all the way there. When they arrived, Gilbert held the door for her and let her take a seat first before sliding into the booth across from her. They ordered their food from a permed, middle-aged waitress who'd been working there since she was in her 20s.

"Why'd you change your mind?" he ventured, not taking his eyes off of her, and added, "I gotta say, I was pretty bummed when you shut me down like that."

Eva looked down at her pink lemonade in shame. "I'm sorry… I wasn't thinking." Her eyes wandered around the dimly-lit establishment, anywhere but Gilbert's unblinking gaze, noting the outdated paneling and vintage décor.

"Don't tell me you're doing this because you feel guilty."

She sensed distrust in his tone, and hurried to set his worries aright, addressing him earnestly, "No, not at all! I thought about what you said, and for once I thought I would go after something that I wanted…"

Gilbert's lips twisted into a familiar, sly smile. "And what's that, sweetheart?"

Eva let out a clear, short giggle, "You know,"

"I'd still like to hear you say it," he coaxed, leaning in a little, "You can whisper it if you're feeling shy,"

He winked; she blushed. Her brain was spinning like a tilt-a-whirl inside her skull and her insides fluttered uncontrollably. Her thoughts all slurred together; she wondered if this was what being drunk felt like.

"You," was all she could manage, attempting to control her dizzy mind and not say too much.

Gilbert's grin turned distinctively wolfish and somehow darkened; her stomach flip-flopped and she felt quite warm all of a sudden. Before he could respond, the waitress returned with their food. Eva inwardly breathed a sigh of relief for the mood breaker; it had been getting a little too intense for her taste.

For a couple of minutes, the light clatter of utensils against plates was the only discourse between them. After it cooled down a little, she softly spoke up. "S-so, would it be alright if I stayed the night?"

Gilbert must have choked on his piece of steak, because he coughed for a good minute before clearing his throat and staring at her, wide-eyed. She'd looked and sounded so innocent in asking such a sexually-charged question, not to mention he couldn't believe she even asked. She frowned and lightly placed her hand on his, brows furrowed in worry.

"A-are you okay? I'm sorry for asking… I told my brother I'd be at a girlfriend's, and he doesn't like me driving late at night…"

"Oh no, no, that's great!" he exclaimed, probably too eagerly. He cleared his throat again, hoping she didn't notice, and squeezed her hand with a smile. "How's your pie, babe?"

Oblivious, Eva smiled bashfully and rubbed the back of his hand with her delicate thumb, glancing only for a moment at her half-eaten slice of apple pie. "Very good, thank you… How is yours?"

"I didn't get pie, I got real food. Do we need to get your eyes checked?" he taunted with a quick wink. Eva shook her head at him before turning her attention back to her plate, scooping equal parts vanilla ice cream and apple pie onto her fork. He watched as she carefully balanced it and guided it to her shiny, pink lips, amazed at what a sweet tooth the girl had.

But she wasn't the same girl he met over a year ago, or even the same one from earlier that evening. He wasn't sure he could call her a "girl" anymore; she was a woman. He didn't just change her label to excuse the less-than-pure thoughts running through his mind; he'd watched her step out of her comfort zone and put her own desires first, for a change. For instance, ordering pie instead of an actual meal.

Instead of pushing her buttons, he decided to treat her like the adult she was and actually talk about something. After fumbling for a topic, he tried: "So, uh, how's school coming for you?"

He cringed a little; did his phrasing make her out to be some lunchbox-toting middle schooler?

Eva didn't seem to notice and she perked up, excited to share her goals with him. They had serious conversations in the restaurant sometimes, but this time, he didn't have to walk away. And normally those talks focused on the chattier party; this time he was asking about her. She had to restrain herself from smiling like a happy dork.

"W-well, I'm majoring in psychology and biology, but I really prefer psych. My brother wants me to become a doctor, but I have been looking into child psychology… I also took an intro French course last semester and I really enjoyed it, but I'm not sure if I'll have time to continue with it… My brother wants me to focus on my required courses and try to graduate early so that we can save a little money, but I feel like I'm missing out on the experience… I don't even live on campus. B-but it's fine! I am blessed to have someone like Vash to take care of me." Realizing that she'd been babbling, Eva cleared her throat quietly.

"I think you'd be good with children… Working with them, I mean." They both smiled bashfully. "You know, some guests act like overgrown children!" Gilbert winked before continuing, furrowing his brow thoughtfully, "What kind of experience are you missing? Want me to help you check a couple things off your list?"

She giggled through a warm, surprised grin. "Right now?"

"All the college kids are gone, but we can still knock a few things out tonight, if you want." She thought she saw a glint of mischief in his eyes, but she liked it. Gilbert paid their tab and they hopped back in his car.

"So, what's first, wild college girl?"

"Well… I've never been to a bar… Or drank," she painfully confessed, turning away so he couldn't see her ashamed blushing.

"Honestly, sweetheart, that doesn't surprise me. But we'll take care of that soon enough, don't worry!" he cackled, rubbing her shoulder reassuringly. "It's only 9:45, and it's Tuesday. But you know what they say, 'club going up, on a Tuesday'!" Gilbert was met with a perplexed expression from the doe-eyed blonde. "It's… nevermind," he chuckled to himself as he put his car into gear.

* * *

Thank you for hanging in here with me! c: I realize the first chapter ended a bit abruptly, because I had originally planned to publish this as one complete piece, but it got away from me after about 3k words. Oops! So to reward you all, I published this chapter a little early!

I hope you enjoyed this chapter, we're seeing a little more from these two! I jumped a little bit into Gil's POV, though I'm focusing primarily on Liech. I hope I'm doing the characters justice, and that Liech's transformation into a carefree little thing isn't too far of a stretch. (It only gets better from here!) Thank you all again!


	3. Chapter 3

"It's this beautiful young woman's 21st birthday tonight and I'm buying her a drink!" Gilbert theatrically announced as they saddled up to the bar, earning irritated glances from the few loners sitting a few bar stools down, nursing their pints. The bartender stared blankly at him, then at rosy-cheeked, wide-eyed Eva. He appeared to be weighing his options—was it worth it to card this obviously underage girl to lose two customers on a slow night?—before he shrugged and asked for their drink order.

Eva bit her lip and glanced at Gilbert uncertainly; she wasn't prepared, especially because she had just assumed they'd be turned away. Luckily, he was ready. "Jack and Coke for me, and a Sex on the Beach for the lady."

Her expression morphed from mortified to perplexed to embarrassed and back again. Gil snickered at her priceless, innocent reaction. "It's just a fruity drink with vodka, I promise you'll like it." He smirked before leaning in to add, "I bet you'd like the non-drink version, too."

She barely contained an indignant squeak, body turning rigid before she elbowed him in the ribs. Eva should have known a comment like that would follow, but he could have said it in a less… _seductive_ way. She simmered as she watched the bartender make their drinks; Gilbert cackled softly.

"You know I was just teasing, babe. I'm sorry!" he exclaimed, stifling a sly smile. Eva shook her head, inevitably forgiving him. He was four years older than her, but she knew that men were said to reach mental maturity later than women. Besides, he was just excited about being there for her first drink.

From the first sip, it tasted almost like a tropical fruit punch, little umbrella and all. She shot him a grateful smile for picking an easy, sweet cocktail for her first time. It didn't even taste like alcohol—not that she really knew what that was like. She quickly sucked down half of the glass, Gilbert watching her as he took small sips of his drink. "Easy, love, it sneaks up on you," he warned halfheartedly.

Not a moment later, a new warmth radiated from her stomach and spread to her extremities, loosening up her limbs and fogging up her mind. Eva felt strangely exhilarated and sluggish at once; was she drunk already after just half?

"Feel it yet?" Gilbert asked softly, placing a steadying hand on her shoulder. "Drink a little water,"

She took a couple of obedient swigs from her glass of water before going straight back to her Sex on the Beach. He turned down another round for her once it was gone, noting that she was pretty buzzed from just one. "Wanna head out? I think you're done."

"Um… Can I trya beer first please...?" she asked, thoughts and words running together. Gilbert did as she requested and got her a light beer, warning her that it wasn't as sweet as the fruity cocktail.

Eva took a sip and apparently contemplated the flavor before taking a slightly bigger gulp. "'t'snot bad!" she exclaimed, giving her expert opinion: "I like the bitter."

"Atta girl," Gilbert praised, snaking an arm over her shoulder. "We'll split after that beer, though, we don't want you getting blackout drunk. Remember, we've got your bucket list to work on!"

Bobbing her head in a loopy nod, Eva took another long drink from her water glass. Her thoughts bounced around in her head and her body felt like it was made of both lead and clouds all at once. She knew if Vash ever found out about this, she'd never be allowed to leave the house again, and in a strange way, she reveled in that. She was constantly doted upon for being such a sweet, poised little lady, while her old high school friends exercised their newfound freedom by partying and hooking up. Before, those kind of antics didn't appeal to her; she was making the best of her time focusing on her education, which she personally found fun. Besides, what's more important that a person's reputation?

But sitting in the bar, probably drunk, with an older male coworker, she wondered why one's image really mattered in the first place. Whatever happened to, "it's what's on the inside that counts" and "judging people by the content of their character"? Eva herself tried not to judge others, but she realized that subconsciously, she too was prone to evaluating others' worth by their outer appearance. Take Gilbert; she thought that because he was in a dead-end job without a formal education that he would be "less of a gentleman". Instead, he was holding doors for her, buying her food and drinks, and encouraging her to follow her own heart, for once.

"So, blondie, what's next?" Gilbert asked, as if on cue.

"Well… There's a tradition at my university that you have to go skinny-dipping in the lake near the aquatics center before you graduate…" Even though her inhibitions had lowered, she still lowered her gaze shyly.

"What are we waiting for then?" he blurted, slapping cash onto the bar before hopping out of his stool and pulling her towards the door.

" _Hey!_ " she fumed, digging her heels into the floor. "Have a little self-respect! I never said I'd let you watch."

He could have been bowled over with a mere feather; which was what she was. He should have gotten her drunk and pushed her buttons a long time ago—it was even cuter than sober, flustered Eva! Gilbert laughed and put an arm around her to help steady her. "You're right, that was not very genteel of me. I'll hold your clothes and keep my back turned. Deal?"

She looked down at his extended hand, narrowing her eyes in faux suspicion, as she tried to conceal a sly little smile. "Okay," she relented, giving his hand a surprisingly firm shake before he helped her back out to the car.

Gilbert pulled over in front of the university's aquatics building after a short drive from the downtown district, shooting her a wolfish grin as he turned out his headlights. She had apparently sobered up slightly on the way there, because she seemed a little more nervous than she had back at the bar. He took her hand and squeezed it gently. "You got this, babe."

She returned with a delayed nod, finding herself leaning in towards him in the darkness of his car. But not soon enough; before she realized it, the driver's side door was slammed shut and Gilbert opened her own, offering a hand to help her out. Eva took his hand and swallowed her disappointment; the night was still young, and there was plenty of time for a kiss later. She was surprised at herself at the impulsive instinct, but also a little proud.

Eva was doing all these things she never would have dreamed she'd do yesterday. She didn't want to credit Gilbert for all of it, even though he had sparked the daring fire ablaze inside her, because it still took a lot of nerve on her part. They walked hand-in-hand down the hill to the edge of the water as the black water lapped at the shore, dotted by the bright moon and stars.

The cicadas and the frogs sang a midsummer duet as Eva slipped off her black patent leather flats and daintily set them aside. Facing the lake, she untucked her plain white blouse and began to unbutton it; when she glanced over her shoulder, she noticed that Gilbert was still watching and hissed lightly, "Hey!"

"Oops, forgot." He snickered, grinning mischievously, before he obeyed.

She smiled to herself as she removed her blouse and pencil skirt, folding them neatly and handing them to Gilbert over his shoulder. Taking a quick glance at her surroundings, she quickly shimmied out of her pantyhose and undergarments, wrapping the latter up in her pantyhose when she realized how plain and perhaps "childish" they were. As she reached over his shoulder again to hand him the last of her clothes, he abruptly grabbed her wrist.

Eva's heart stopped; what had she done? What was he going to do to her…? She should have known better than to trust him. What respectable man encouraged a girl—she did not feel like a woman much anymore—to get drunk, strip down in public, and flail around in a lake, especially while he was right there? Panicked, she struggled to free her hand, however, he relented easily with a laugh.

"Just messing with you, blondie! Go ahead, I swear I won't turn around." he assured her, keeping his own eyes on the street above.

Eva could have slugged him—well, mentally—as she heaved a heavy sigh of relief. She covered herself as well as she could as she waded into the surprisingly cool water, moving as quietly as possible until she was in up to her waist. Taking in a deep breath, she held her nose and submerged herself completely into the water, popping back out a moment later with a giggle. She was feeling much less sluggish than before, but her judgement was still, obviously, a little fuzzy. Her alcohol-induced buzz combined with a new surge of adrenaline encouraged her to slice the water with her palm, aiming to splash Gilbert back on land.

"Hey!" he called, startled, "Is it cold in there, hun? Need me to come in to warm you up?" He teased Eva but he kept his word, not taking a single peek, as much as he wanted to.

"Yeah, right!" she exclaimed, laughing and wading a little deeper as her body acclimated itself to the lower temperature of the water.

They joked with each other back and forth for a minute or two before the distinct sound of an engine coming down the street reached their ears. Eva's blood ran cold and she froze like a deer in very real approaching headlights.

"Eva? Eva! Get out of there!" Gilbert hissed, quick eyes searching for a place to hide. There was a sturdy, wide tree off to the side between them and the road, and he locked in on it. Breaking his promise, he turned to see her petrified—literally. "E-Eva!"

The approaching car pulled in behind Gilbert's, and when she saw that it had a light bar on the top and writing on the side ("CITY POLICE") she thought she was going to pass out. When she heard the car door slam, however, she shot like a bullet towards Gilbert. She didn't even care that he was looking directly at her, just that she was _naked_ and a _police officer_ was going to catch them. _Oh God, what will Vash think?!_

The cop had been shining his flashlight into Gilbert's car, apparently abandoned on the side of the road, until her sudden splashing caught his ear. Emerging from the water, Eva ducked behind Gilbert, dripping, trembling, and white as a sheet.

"Hey, who's there?" the policeman shouted, suspicion in his tone. The flashlight beam grazed the surface of the lake a couple of times, lingering upon the upset water where Eva had just been.

"Come on, over here," Gilbert whispered, wrapping an arm around her and quickly guiding her to the tree, the flashlight on their heels. Circling around to take cover behind the tree, he pressed her up against the trunk and held her damp body against his chest to shield her. Though they didn't dare to breathe a word, trying to stay silent, each was breathing heavily. Eva clung to his shirt, eyes wrenched shut, as her heart beat out of her chest.

The flashlight beam scanned over the area a few more times—including past the tree behind which they cowered—before the cop cut it off and started up his police cruiser once more. They breathed a simultaneous sigh of relief, and Eva's knees just about buckled under her when her fears were allayed. They sank to the ground, still embracing each other securely, once the hum of the engine faded, smiling wide, relieved, terrified grins. She finally opened her eyes, pulling away just slightly, to see him looking intensely into her own.

"Th…that was close," she breathed, chest still heaving, "Thank you…"

He managed a nod, still panting himself, maintaining eye contact. Something in the back of Eva's mind prodded her on to do what she'd been meaning to, and she instinctively followed it. Her hands on his shoulders, she pulled herself in to press her lips against his. His delayed reaction revealed his own surprise at her forwardness, but soon enough he was pulling her in closer, running his hands through her still-wet blonde hair. Her heart was in her throat even still as they broke the kiss, smiling sheepishly back at him.

Gilbert ran a hand down her flushed cheek and tucked a lock of her hair behind her ear before abruptly handing her her clothes and turning away. She nodded, a little disappointed with his lack of a reaction, but dressed quickly. When she was through, he gave her a peck on the forehead and guided her back to the car, smiling and saying softly, "That's enough excitement for one night, don'tcha think?"

* * *

Feels like I'm racing to get this story finished. Have to go back to university next week, so hopefully I can wrap this up for everyone by then! I've planned it so there should only be 2 chapters after this one. My poor baby Liech. She should have remembered that ~brother knows best~. Flynn Rider- I mean Gil is just going to get her into trouble.

Thank you all again for reading, and please feel free to leave a review if you'd like! c:


	4. Chapter 4

Gilbert started up the car, turning up the heat for the shivering blonde in the passenger seat. She pulled her feet up onto the seat, hugging her legs to her torso as her gaze and mind wandered. He'd been unusually soft-spoken since their close encounter with the police. Was he still shell-shocked from nearly being caught, or was it something else? Eva wondered if it had anything to do with her; was it that impromptu kiss? He'd seemed surprised by it, but he certainly didn't reject it.

 _What if it's my body?_ The thought of it bothered her. She was petite and lithe, although a bit spindly and much to be desired in the bust department. Not to mention she was quite fair-skinned; even though it was summer, Eva had barely tanned at all. He'd always commented on her attractiveness before, however, she'd always had clothes on. Pushup bras and long sleeves concealed and augmented her faults before, but he'd seen her in her completely natural state—boyish figure and all.

Oddly enough, she was less embarrassed and more disappointed that he'd seen her. Secretly, she'd been hoping he'd try to take a peek; though she refused to admit it consciously, it would have given her that extra validation that she _was_ a beautiful, worthy woman. But his reaction was less than the awestruck, lustful even, response she was anticipating.

Eva didn't dare bring it up, instead resting her chin on her knees and daring a glance over at Gilbert, who was uncharacteristically silent and serious as he focused on the road. He looked over at her at a stop sign and shot her a smile. "You okay, babe?"

She smiled weakly back and nodded. He frowned a little, not satisfied with her answer, but left her to her thoughts for the remainder of the short drive. He pulled into his parking space in front of the apartment complex and nudged her with his elbow. "We're here, sleepy," he announced before getting out and going around to her side of the car to open her door.

Gilbert lead the way to his apartment and encouraged her to make herself comfortable in the living room while he fetched a towel from the linen closet in the hallway. She daintily took a seat on his couch, taking in these new surroundings. The room was sparsely decorated and small, but his furniture was actually quite nice, complete with flat screen TV and gaming consoles. He wrapped the towel around her shoulders when he returned, noting that her slight pout hadn't faded. "What's up?" he asked, brow furrowed uneasily.

Eva slipped off her shoes before tucking her legs against her chest again, averting her eyes anxiously. "You were acting strangely after… after you, um, saw me…"

Gilbert looked at her long and hard before breaking into a grin and chuckling, "Were you seriously worried about that? You are too freaking cute,"

She frowned at him, not understanding his amusement and feeling vaguely patronized for being called 'cute'. Gilbert flicked her bangs teasingly. "It wasn't about seeing you in your birthday suit, girl. Honestly, I didn't really get a good look because of the, uh, seriously terrifying circumstances. But what I did see I liked." Gilbert assured her with a wink.

Eva pressed her lips together as they curled up into a shy, flattered smile. "Really...?"

His smile widened, borderline smirking, as he unwrapped her from the towel and knelt on the floor in front of her. Gilbert cupped her jaw in his hand and leaned in to kiss her, snaking his other arm around her waist to pull her in. Eva felt herself melt into the kiss, tentatively wrapping her arms around his neck. The endorphins started flowing and she grew suddenly lightheaded, her initially quick, light kisses becoming slower, exaggerated, and more passionate. He stoked the fire growing in her abdomen as he alternated between stroking her sides, massaging her thighs, and slipping his hands under her blouse to rub her back.

When they separated, Eva's head was spinning. Cheeks flushed, pupils dilated, and breathing heavily, she felt as if she'd just stepped off of a rollercoaster. "That was fun," she breathed, hardly realizing she'd said her thoughts aloud until he let out a breathy chuckle in return.

"Hang on," he said with a grin, disappearing and returning a couple minutes later with two glasses and a bottle of cheap white wine. "Not as sweet as you, but." Gilbert opened the bottle with ease, pouring each of them a generous glass before handing one to her. She took a dainty sip as he sat down next to her, and she hummed in approval at the taste.

They clinked glasses and she took a more generous swig. She gave him a peck on the cheek, which he returned on the lips, daring to slip her some tongue briefly. Eva squeaked, surprised and embarrassed, and turned away to hide her rosy-red cheeks. She took a couple more drinks; the alcohol, nerves, and adrenaline all began to swirl around inside of her again.

Gilbert gently took her glass and set it on the coffee table before taking her about the waist and hoisting her up onto his lap. Her skirt was hiked up to her thighs so that she could straddle him, but he was only looking at her big, green eyes and flushed baby face. He could see the innocent desire in her expression: lustful yet fascinated and curious to find out what came next. He stroked her cheek gently, watching her lean against his fingers and smile sweetly.

Taking a deep breath, he moved her back down to the couch before standing and kissing her forehead. "Finish your wine while I get your bed ready, huh?"

Eva watched him go, frowning slightly but certainly not dissatisfied. Every cell in her body was humming excitedly and she was wide awake; despite not wanting to go to bed yet, she obediently finished her glass of moscato, reveling in the tingly sensation running down her throat, into her stomach, and then to her extremities.

Gilbert returned with a blanket and some folded clothes, handing her the latter. "I'll hang up your clothes to dry, if you want to change into these." The blanket he laid over the back of the couch.

Eva nodded and was showed into the restroom, where she again removed her blouse, skirt, and bra (she hadn't bothered putting her pantyhose back on earlier) and put on what appeared to be an old white t-shirt of Gilbert's, and a pair of boxers that she had to roll the waistband a couple times to get them to stay up. She came back out and handed him her still-damp work clothes, oblivious to his ogling.

Snapping out of it, Gilbert took her garments and guided the wobbly blonde to his room where he'd made the bed for her and given her a couple extra pillows (because chicks love tons of pillows, for some reason). He then went to hang up her clothes in the bathroom before going back to the living room to make himself comfortable on the couch. He'd turned out the light and stretched out under the blanket when he heard a soft voice.

"Um…"

"Blondie?" he sat back up and flicked on the lamp, turning to look at her in the doorway.

"S-sorry, could I borrow your toothbrush…?" she murmured, smiling bashfully as she leaned against the wall. "I forgot to brush my teeth," Eva added, with a soft, tipsy giggle.

When Gilbert's eyes adjusted to the light and he could see her clearly, he just about lost his head. She'd abandoned his boxers, standing in his house in nothing but his shirt and her floral print panties. Her soft, short blond hair was gently tousled from when she initially laid down to go to sleep, striking him as both endearing and irresistible. An uncontrollable urge, a hunger of sorts, surged through his veins, picking him up from his seat; he crossed the room in only a few long paces as if possessed, and pressed her up against the wall.

His dark, sultry eyes turned her into putty in his hands and he huskily breathed, "You are the sexiest damn thing I've ever seen,"

Eva shuddered, knees threatening to give out, as he planted kisses behind her ear, down her neck, and then back up to her mouth. He ran his hands fervently up and down every inch of skin that he could reach, leaving white-hot trails on her body where he'd dragged his wandering fingertips. She sighed into his lips; her passion was rekindled and already blazing within her as she pulled him as close as she possibly could, groping, clinging, and tugging at the fabric of his shirt.

Without breaking the kiss, Gilbert slid his arms behind her thighs and wordlessly lifted her from the floor. Caught off-guard, Eva threw her arms around his neck to steady herself, pulling away to read his expression. Hot desire radiated from his intense expression as he licked his lips, eyeing his tender piece of meat before kissing and nipping lightly at her neck as if unable to keep his lips from her skin for more than a moment. Even so occupied, he managed to carry her back into his bedroom and laid her down. Gilbert followed suit before the bedsheets enveloped them both, all tangled limbs, sloppy kisses, and flushed cheeks.

* * *

I should have probably made this clearer, but even though this is inspired by my real-life experiences, I didn't do any of the majorly crazy stuff. uvu

I wanted to wait to post this chapter until I'd written the final one, but I didn't want to keep you all waiting forever! I've got classes starting soon, but I'll try to have the last installment published ASAP. Hope you enjoyed this short but very interesting chapter! c:


	5. Chapter 5

" _La sensibilisation à la santé mentale est très importante, surtout pour les enfants et les jeunes. Il y a beaucoup d'etudes qui analysent l'effet du stresse sur la performance des etudiants... …"_ Maintaining an even tone of voice, with maybe just a hint of a tremble, Eva began her presentation to her advanced-level French class. Gesturing to the slideshow on the board, she discussed—in French—some mental health issues experienced by young children as well as college students.

Months ago, the young woman would not have had the confidence to stand in front of a group of people and give a presentation alone, and in a language foreign to her. Just two weeks ago, Eva secured an internship abroad for the summer, working in the department of education in Paris, France. She'd ventured so far outside of her comfort zone, neither she nor her brother knew what to do with her. It took a great deal of reassurance, but Vash eventually warmed up to (rather, he at least got above freezing) the idea.

Vash had noticed a significant shift in her attitude since the summer she quit working at the restaurant. She hadn't become an extrovert overnight, but she had developed more of a presence. Eva had always been mature for her age, but he began to see her for the adult that she truly was. He had his lurking anxieties about her extracurricular activities, but frankly, he didn't want to know, so he didn't ask.

Eva wrapped up her speech and smiled a bit sheepishly as the professor and her classmates applauded, and she returned to her seat. She listened attentively as the next students gave their discussions and when class concluded, she filed out with the rest. She zipped up her jacket to protect her from the chilly March breeze. When she made it to the bus stop, she took her phone out of her pocket to pass the time like everyone else around her. Despite coming out of her shell a bit more in the past few months, she didn't feel completely comfortable striking up spontaneous conversation while waiting for the bus.

Upon unlocking her phone, a buzz and a notification at the top of her screen made her stomach turn.

Gilbert Beillschmidt: _Hey Eva, I know it's been a while. I know nothing I say to you now could possibly make up for…_

The blonde forcefully locked her phone and quickly stuffed it back into her jacket as if it were on fire. She had only just started to forget about the whole thing, and now the humiliation, the frustration, the anger, the heartache were all rushing through her veins again. Eva could feel her insides twisting and turning and she started to feel physically sick. When the bus pulled up to the stop, she let the other students brush past her.

Instead, she stumbled to the nearest bench and all but collapsed onto it. No kidding that nothing he said could reconcile what he did to her. Her lips trembled and she fought back hot, angry, heartbroken tears as she relived the entire episode.

Eva was ashamed to admit how quickly she fell for him. More than physically, she'd really thought they had connected on an emotional level. After it all ended, she tried to discount her feelings by chalking it up to hormones, but she'd kept that "l-word" in her mind since that first night. Gilbert had seemed like he really was into her; he encouraged her to pursue her dreams, despite what her brother wanted for her. Between their interactions at work and sex at his place, he took her on thoughtful dates, called her beautiful, held her like he loved her.

She felt her phone vibrate again, and her she wanted to look, wanted to believe. Eva truly wanted him to feel for her like she had for him, but her hardened heart had decided long ago that he'd lost his one and only chance. Who's to know if he got away with it once, he wouldn't do it again? That one day, without warning, he'd once more cut off all communication and up and move to Europe? That he'd have the audacity to read her texts and ignore her again? Humiliation boiled to resentment—how desperate and childish she must have seemed to him.

He neglected to tell her he was leaving at the end of the summer; Eva heard it from Arthur, her boss, an entire week after she lost contact with him. She couldn't stand working there anymore and put in her two weeks, cutting off all ties with Charlotte and Matthias, her next-closest coworkers aside from Gilbert.

After a grieving period of two weeks, around about when she simply ran out of tears, she told herself it was time to live and learn from her mistakes. Eva learned to get back up, and stand up for herself after experiencing being knocked to the ground. She relived the shame and sadness daily, at first—then it was only once a week that she would break down. Finally, just when it had started to become just a memory—

Her phone buzzed once more. She took it out of her pocket to check it, feeling the familiar pangs of betrayal at the several little boxes of long, rambling, cutoff sentences in her notifications. She must have sent similar ones, except her apologies weren't warranted and she had nothing to make excuses for. Thumb hovering over the text bubble, she instead opened her contacts and tapped Gilbert's name. And in one swift, unhesitating motion, it was over. Eva put her phone back into her pocket and stood, already feeling as if a great, heavy boulder had just been lifted off her chest.

Putting on a weak smile, she couldn't pretend it didn't hurt. Despite the pain, she felt even stronger already. Through it all, she'd taught herself how to become her own person and learned her own worth; just now she had cleared the final hurdle. It was her last opportunity to turn back into the little girl she used to be. Yet Eva reaffirmed her new mantra: life is too short to be kept from her full potential by herself, anything, or anyone.

* * *

This final chapter has been a long time coming, and I sincerely apologize. I know this story hasn't been super popular, but I really enjoyed writing it regardless. I hope everyone who made it this far liked it, and I'm not sorry for making Gil a huge jerk. ;) I feel like this story kinda helped to resolve some of my own unrequited/not acted upon feelings. Maybe sometime soon I'll write something cute and fluffy to show you all that I truly love PruLiech as a couple hahaha. Thank you again!


	6. Epilogue

Most nights (and days) he was too drunk or hungover to have coherent thoughts about her. That was just a convenient side effect, not the _reason_ for his drinking.

But one evening, when his flatmates had run out of beer and his throbbing headache and nausea subsided, another equally sick feeling took its place. Gilbert had been with plenty of beautiful women in the months (when he really thought about it, he couldn't believe how long it had been since he left), but one had been on his mind and in his restless dreams (and nightmares).

It made him sick to his stomach, thinking about what he did to her. And all because of his own cowardice. But he couldn't bring himself to reach out to her, even with every apology-ridden text she sent. Instead, the twenty-something just cracked open another beer or poured another shot and drank himself into a fitful sleep.

But this time, he had no security blanket to comfort him from his own guilt and the gut-wrenching sensations.

He hadn't meant to, but he had really fallen for her—perhaps not love, but a strong emotional and physical bond developed between them. She complemented his own temperament almost perfectly: the shy and sweet to his callous and hot-headed. However, she wasn't quite the same demure girl he met at the restaurant. When her doe-like green eyes turned sultry, he'd lose his head. Though she constantly apologized to him about how awkward she was in bed, it really didn't bother him at all.

A relationship was not in his plans, especially right before the year-long trip he'd been planning and saving for since the year before. Gilbert wasn't afraid of his presumable rejection by her, so he decided to take her out on a whim, perhaps bed her if he could just to say he did. But she stirred up something else in him—something protective, affectionate. Now that they were in the middle of a summer romance, how could he have told her he was leaving at the end of August?

He could imagine her reaction: those little pink lips that he loved to kiss, trembling; tears streaming across her cheeks. Gilbert couldn't watch it without breaking down himself. If he witnessed her grief, he would never be able to get it out of his head (or worse, he'd drop the trip altogether). It would just be easier _not_ to say goodbye.

So he didn't. He made sure nobody at the Bistro told her about his departure, and boarded his plane without so much as a text message breakup.

Now, brutally sober and painfully alone, Gilbert took out his phone and opened her messages again. Sprawled on a lumpy couch, in a three-day-old t-shirt, he read every line she wrote and cried.

He wiped his salty face with the sleeve of his off-white shirt and started on his reply. It was difficult to begin, but soon enough the words, emotions, and tears were flowing. He told all: his guilt, how he had truly become attached to her, that what he did was his greatest regret, that he'd do anything for her forgiveness, that he wanted to hold her again.

For the next two, three, four weeks, he stumbled around on autopilot, effectively a zombie. She hadn't replied to or even _read_ his texts. No substance could relieve his withdrawal from her, but that didn't mean he didn't try. He ran out of tears quickly, yet he still sobbed to himself when he was alone. Gilbert knew that this must have been what she felt, which only nauseated him further.

Years later, after he returned to his hometown and cleaned up his act, he saw her. Her blond hair was in a neat tuck and she was wearing a blazer and pencil skirt; she must have just been coming from work. She was still petite, but even from a distance he could see how much higher she held herself. Gilbert smiled to himself at the woman she'd become and turned back to his own shopping cart. He hadn't deserved her back then, and even now he knew she was so far out of his league. But he wasn't sad, nor did he experience the familiar pangs of guilt; no, he considered himself lucky to have loved her once.

* * *

Hi, it's me again. I was partly inspired by a review to share with you Gilbert's end of the story. I really wanted to include it, but I didn't want it to get in the way of Liech's character development. Listen to "Sober Saturday Night" while reading this. Let the tears commence, LMAO. Thank you all again! :)


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